As of late, many mock drafts have the Golden State Warriors picking a slew of rangy hybrid small/power forwards in the mold of Dorell Wright. Kansas’ Marcus Morris is one of those players linked to the Warriors for his combination of size, skill, and athleticism. The Warriors are short on size and two-way players and draft analysts consider Morris a promising talent to fill these needs. Problematically, Morris had some of the worst shooting percentages among his colleagues at the recent NBA Draft Combine.
Perhaps it was just nerves or maybe it was just an off day. But Marcus Morris, a self-professed small-forward, was among the bottom five contestants in three of four shooting drills. Matt Kamalsky of Draftexpress.com reports that Morris made 11/25 spot up college-range three pointers, 8/25 spot up NBA-range three pointers, 6/18 off the dribble jumpers, and 13/15 timed 15’-18’ jump shots.
When it comes to the Warriors, Dorell Wright is the Warriors only true wing player and he’s proven to be a streaky shooter at best. And when Wright is off, he is REALLY off. Beyond Wright, the Warriors really have no depth at the wings and more often than not the Warriors ran a three guard line-up with sharp shooter in Reggie Williams. While offensively potent, Williams looks about as intimidating as Jimmer Fredette’s defense during the 2011 NCAA tournament.
The Warriors desperately need talent that can fill the holes of size, shooting, and defense created by their top three players in Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and David Lee. While these players are known for their offense, Dorell Wright is often the only player on the court that shows any semblance of being a two-way player and recently fired coach Keith Smart was “smart” in burning the hell out of Wright’s abilities (second on the team in minutes played). So is Morris their guy?
Morris’ poor shooting doesn’t mean he can’t shoot. But based off these stats, has Morris’ value to the Warriors changed? Do Morris’ numbers Draft Combine stats scare you?